Wednesday's letters to the editor

Andy Marlette

Political madness

Southwest Florida politicians, including Rep. Trey Radel and state legislators Heather Fitzenhagen, Matt Caldwell, Dane Eagle, and Ray Rodrigues, support federally subsidized flood insurance. They say withholding these subsidies would be catastrophic for property owners and the Florida economy.

Yet, these same legislators are vehemently opposed to expanded and federally subsidized health insurance. Congressman Radel calls the Affordable Care Act "an abomination," and these state legislators rejected $51 billion to expand Medicaid to our working poor.

Therefore, Floridians will subsidize Medicaid expansion in other states, and pay higher health insurance premiums to cover uncompensated care in our state. This is bad for our state's economy, but the 1 million working poor of Florida will suffer the real catastrophe. Republican politicians do this to sabotage the ACA.

Do you value property over people? If not, register as a Republican and vote in the 2014 Republican primary where Southwest Florida elections are decided. A Democrat hasn't won the general election here in almost 20 years. Low-turnout, closed primaries allow well-organized minorities to dominate and ideologues to prevail. Moderates and independents voting in the primary can neuter them.

It's not the majority who decide an election, it's the majority of people who show up.

Connie Holzinger, Fort Myers

Who's really at fault

For all of my working years, I was part of a large group that offered several choices of health care depending on individual circumstances; single, family plan, income, etc.

The plan I chose was a bit more expensive (premium-wise) than some of the others, but covered everything including prescription drugs and dental with reasonable deductibles and co-pays. This plan followed me into retirement with no changes in premiums or coverage. When I went on Medicare, my plan became supplemental and I no longer have deductibles or co-pays and I don't have to change a thing!

Granted, our president misspoke and should have stated that you can keep your health care plan if it meets all the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. Those who have to make a change, from what I understand, are those who purchased on an individual, not a group plan and whose policy does not meet all the necessary needs under the law.

This law is necessary so that those of us who have insurance will NOT have to pick up the tab for those who use the emergency room for their primary care as has been the case for too many years!

I truly believe it is the insurance companies that sold the crappy, high-cost policies the ones that are to blame for all the confusion and finger-pointing, not the ACA.

Mary Lou Sowa, San Carlos Park

Fear game

The Republicans are back to the "fear game" after four years of attempting unsuccessfully to undermine the Affordable Care Act. The first few years were a barrage of Republican misinformation statements (remember the "death panels?") When that failed, they came up with the ACA defunding strategy, which was a disaster. Now they are magnifying the ACA startup problems with "the sky is falling" statements.

Their latest trick is Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio's attempt to obtain complaints from residents about their bad experience with ACA that he can amplify ("Rubio seeks Obamacare victims," Nov. 3.)

Rubio should be communicating with Florida residents to apologize to the state's refusal to cooperate with the federal government in the implementation of ACA.

Don Berglund, Fort Myers

Crafty Kasich

Republican Gov. Kasich of Ohio with a totally Republican Legislature has found a way to expand Medicaid in Ohio. He went to a seldom-used committee and persuaded them to vote 7-2 in favor of Medicaid expansion.

He said that his turnaround on this issue was due to Christian compassion.

He sees it as a moral issue. He does not want to be responsible for leaving a large portion of the uninsured completely without health care coverage. The Affordable Care Act was designed to include Medicaid expansion, and without it, a large portion of the uninsured are left out.

Here in Florida, we have a Republican governor who has expressed interest in expanding Medicaid, but a Republican state Legislature that refuses, solely on political grounds.

Medicaid expansion in the state of Florida would be great for business and the economy, great for the uninsured, and great for all citizens who pay for the uninsured to be cared for in emergency rooms, greatly increasing the health care costs.